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But her friends know her as a different type of "cookie monster." An avid baker - and consumer - of cookies, Bronner thrives on making small treats for others. It's her little way of giving back. "It's not much, but it's fun, and helps people return to the little 5-year-old inside. For me, it's part of my vocation," she says.
Bronner believes in serving God and sharing his love with everyone she encounters. As the first-ever president of the InterVarsity Christian Fellowship group on campus, she is passionate about exploring her faith - Catholicism - and focusing her life around its values.
"InterVarsity is the one place where there really are no divisions. I see the gospel come to life; the gospel is about loving your neighbor, and you can only love your neighbor if you break down exclusivity," she says.
She lives each day with excitement, appreciation, and a little bit of eccentricity. Bronner rides her bike around campus, often stacked with picnic baskets and books, while wearing green Crocs. She even composts her own food, putting biodegradable items under the bushes when grounds workers aren't looking.
"I tend to befuddle people when they see me rushing around with a lot of stuff on my bike," says Bronner. "But if I make one person crack up because of what a goofball I can be, it's a better day."
According to her friend Jeannette Romeo, the director of student services in the Lynch School of Education, Bronner put together a book called Beautiful Things, listing little things to appreciate. "She takes something simple in life and makes it so incredible," says Romeo. Romeo comments on Bonner's continuous optimism and willingness to reach out to others: "Steph gets up early and cooks pancakes for people who she feels might need a lift that day."
Service is central to Bronner's life, be it as a leader on a school-sponsored trip to Natchez, Miss. or as a volunteer in rural Zambia, where she spent last spring. After her plans to study abroad in Sweden fell through, Bronner got in touch with a Jesuit mission in the African country and worked with it for the semester.
While at BC, Bronner led both Kairos and 48 Hours retreats. She is a proponent of taking time to get to know both yourself and others against a backdrop of acceptance, and she strives to create that atmosphere in every exchange she has. "Establishing a space where people can open up and not be judged, that's what retreats really are. I try to provide a little bit of retreat in all my conversations," she says.
Her plans for next year aren't yet set; she may be teaching at a Catholic school near Boston, or leading retreats for high school students outside of Chicago. Four years of growing at BC have prepared her to live her faith, no matter what career path she chooses.
"I really appreciate that the InterVarsity community and the BC community have given me sacred spaces to open up and feel God's love," she says. "I'm so grateful to have received this sort of nourishment here and to offer it to others."
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